The Devious First-Daughter

Chapter 621 An Insignificant Concubine in Prince Xiang’s Manor

When Ning Xueyan regained unconsciousness, all she could feel was pain all over her body. She touched the back of her head, unable to recognize where she was at the moment. She seemed to be inside an old firewood shed with some firewood scattered on the floor. Underneath her was a large piece of firewood, so the surface was still fairly soft. She sat up and saw that she was all alone.

The first impression the place gave her was that of an old firewood shed but the second, however, was a jail. It was a small room, with a tiny window high above. The whole place looked gloomy.

Hearing the noise from inside the shed, two repulsive-looking burly men opened the door and walked in. “Hey, you woke up?” they said, looking at the woman sitting on the pile of firewood. It was apparent from their appearance that they were no gentleman.

Ning Xueyan’s gleaming eyes blinked as she asked calmly, “Who are you two?” The lady who attacked her was skilled and followed her with a clear goal in mind. This was likely a premeditated attack, and naturally, not one that these two burly men that she didn’t even know could plan.

“This lady is a real beauty. Don’t care who we are. We’ll send you somewhere nice later. It’s a jackpot for a pretty lady like you.” One of the burly men laughed, his voice lecherous. He looked Ning Xueyan up and down with lust in his eyes.

“You’re sending me to someone? Who? Why don’t I help you out? Since you’re sending me to someone, you should find me a better family. That way, you’ll gain more benefit,” Ning Xueyan said calmly.

The men were stunned, having not expected a woman to remain so composed in such a situation. Then, their expression turned contemptuous.

“Ah, you’re the kind who wants power and wealth. But what a pity. Even if a woman like you enters a nobleman’s manor, you’ll still be a titleless concubine. When your master gets tired of playing with you, he’ll still send you away as a gift. Oh, but once your master is sick of you, you can have fun with us instead.”

One of the men continued to speak in a lecherous voice. He took two steps forward until he was next to Ning Xueyan and reached out to touch her face.

Ning Xueyan was alarmed but didn’t let it show. She sneered and slapped the man’s outreached hand away. Though there was a slight smile on her face, her expression was icy. “Aren’t you afraid I’d have you killed once I gain favor? Can you be sure that your master will be able to protect you?”

Her facial features were exquisite and her smile emphasized how beautiful she was. However, her eyes, as unfathomable as bottomless pools, were so cold that they could freeze anyone. They also made people afraid of ignoring her words.

“Tsk, who do you think you are? You’re just a plaything. So what if I play with you before sending you away? After all, a famous prostitute in the brothel can sleep with one man one night and still get hired the next!” the burly man said unhappily.

He reached out to grab Ning Xueyan.

“Stop. Don’t touch her for now.” The other man walked over with a gloomy expression and yanked the man squatting on the floor.

The man retorted nonchalantly, “She’s just a plaything. They said anything’s fine as long as we don’t kill her.”

“Have you forgotten what we said earlier?” the man behind him said coldly.

The man earlier seemed sheepish after getting chided. He glanced at Ning Xueyan’s beautiful face, feeling an itch in his heart. He had never seen a woman as beautiful as her. As that maid said, he wouldn’t be able to get this chance again.

“They wouldn’t know if neither of us speaks. It’s not like this woman would say it herself!” he mumbled in dissatisfaction.

“Aren’t you afraid that your master will come back and punish you for your disobedience?” a cold voice emerged.

The burly man in front subconsciously replied, “All our master said was to send the target over. Why care about the rest?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he raised his head and looked at Ning Xueyan in astonishment. He immediately covered his mouth.

“Honestly, you don’t have to be so hasty. Do you think I wouldn’t know who’s sending me to whom? It’s Prince Fu, isn’t it? It’s not like I don’t know him. Since Prince Fu is interested in me, you kidnapped me as a gift for him. To make him do something, it seems? Or more precisely, it’s your master who wants him to do something? I’m just your bargaining chip. What a pity. I know Prince Fu very well.”

Ning Xueyan smiled and spoke firmly.

To think that this woman knew Prince Fu and was even familiar with him! Her words suggested that they didn’t just have an ordinary relationship. If Prince Fu found out that they attacked this woman, he would kill them. With Prince Yi and Prince Xiang in trouble, Prince Fu was the one most likely to win the throne.

Seeing the two burly men standing in shock, Ning Xueyan chimed in leisurely, “When does your master want me to be sent to Prince Fu? Hurry up. It’ll be problematic if Prince Fu can’t save your master.”

What was wrong with this woman? How could she know everything?

The two men’s eyes widened even more as they stared at her in disbelief.

Suddenly, they exchanged looks and stopped looking. The man behind fished out a pill from his chest and walked toward Ning Xueyan. Even from a distance, she could tell from the fragrance of the pill that it was an aphrodisiac. She couldn’t believe that they would feed her such a pill. Her glare turned sharp as she said, “Xia Yuhang’s subordinates are as useless as I thought. To think that you’d even use such lowly medicine.”

“You…” This time, the men were truly stunned. How did this woman find out about their master’s name?

“I suppose you don’t know who I am. Are you trying to harm Prince Fu by sending me to him? You dare to ask for his help with this trick. Or did you think that it’s not enough to have all of your clan killed, so you want to add another one?”

Mockery-filled mirth filled her eyes. It was the same look typically seen on Ao Chenyi’s face. Her hands, resting on her knees, were tightly clenched. It turned out that Xia Yuhang had a back-up plan, and this plan involved her. The most ridiculous thing was that he insisted that she was Ning Ziying.

Yet, when push came to shove, he didn’t hesitate to kidnap her, drug her, and push her onto Ao Mingwan’s bed. Perhaps, this was the condition for Ao Mingwan’s help and only this condition could help him survive.

Sure enough, Xia Yuhang was the most selfish and unkind of people.

When one didn’t have any conflict of interests with him, he would be an elegant nobleman doing decent things and speaking affectionate words. But when one’s existence threatened his interests, he would mercilessly shed his mask of hypocrisy.

He could swear a lifetime with you in one moment and tear you to shreds in the next.

There was barely anyone who could harm her at this moment, Ning Xueyan thought. This timing, too, was suspicious. Ao Mingyu was still unconscious and Ao Mingwan wasn’t that radical. The Emperor wouldn’t make the move himself because of her “discord” with Ao Chenyi. Wen Xueran’s intentions were unclear but he wouldn’t give her away when he wanted to restore the previous dynasty with her.

That left Xia Yuhang as the only suspect in a dire situation. He was so desperate for help that he resorted to kidnapping, wanting to send her to Ao Mingwan. However, he wasn’t around when Ao Mingwan mistook her and Ning Qingshan, so how did he find out that Ao Mingwan had feelings for her?

“No one knows if Prince Yi is dead or alive. Who knows if he’ll regain consciousness? He doesn’t have the time to worry about us. Prince Fu will be grateful to our master once we send you to him. Why would he kill us?” The two burly men sneered, having snapped out of their horror.

“Why are you still talking to her? Just feed her the medicine and send her away, and our job will be over!” said the one who looked lecherously at Ning Xueyan earlier.

“All right!” The other man didn’t hesitate anymore. The more they hesitated, the more troublesome this would become. Their master had firmly ordered them to send this woman to Prince Fu’s bed.

Out of the blue, Ning Xueyan yelled, “Wait, did Ning Qingshan interfere? Did she tell you that you’re not violating your master’s order as long as you don’t kill me?” She must not take that pill or she would be completely ruined. Concealing the tension in her eyes, she looked at the men angrily.

“Did you think an insignificant concubine in Prince Xiang’s Manor can protect you? I’m afraid even your master has trouble protecting himself now, let alone a lowly concubine. If you don’t believe me, take a look outside. But don’t blame me for not reminding you. Even if you want to leave now, you might not be able to.”

“What do you mean?” Ning Xueyan’s words flustered the two burly men. What kind of woman was she? How could she know everything, even the collusion between their master and that concubine in Prince Xiang’s Manor? How could she be so sharp-witted? And what did she mean, they couldn’t leave?

“You don’t believe me? Fine, one of you can go out and take a look. The other can stay. The streets are already filled with people. Who knows, they might investigate this place very soon. I wonder if your master ever considered the possibility that he’ll be arrested? If that Concubine Ning of yours ever thought about the possible consequences of this incident?”

Ning Xueyan’s expression turned cold and the corner of her lips curved into a sneer. She believed that the coachman saw her getting kidnapped. Even if he couldn’t save her immediately, he would report it. Ao Chenyi would definitely take measures once he found out.

The coachman that Ao Chenyi gave her at that time was no ordinary coachman!

Meanwhile, Xia Yuhang was being detained at the Ministry of Justice and wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon, resulting in the lack of clear command in this kidnapping. Ning Qingshan might be colluding with him, but she was a concubine in Prince Xiang’s Manor and wouldn’t be able to leave even if she wanted to, especially when her husband’s survival was still uncertain.

With these two factors at play, their loss meant it was her gain. All she had to do was persist for a while longer. She was sure that Ao Chenyi would find her.

She seemed composed as she sat on a pile of firewood, a scornful smile on her face. Only she knew how tense she was, so much so that her body was stiff. Inside her sleeves, her hands were clenched. She tried her best to suppress her fear. No matter what, she must hold on until Ao Chenyi’s arrival…